Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
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Debbie Dujanovic reporting
Produced by Anne ForesterIt doesn't matter where you park. This crime happens at home, at the office, even public parking lots. The crime is simple to commit, nearly impossible to trace, and appears to be netting thieves a pretty penny.
Joseph Stobbe told KSL-TV it happened to him a few weeks ago. "I turned on my car and it just sounded like my car was going to explode," says Stobbe.
Steve Van Leeuwen got hit not once, but twice.
Thieves scooted under their cars and stole the catalytic converters. Van Leeuwen and Stobbe found out the device, designed to cut toxic emissions, is expensive to replace.
"I got estimates as high as $2,000," says Van Leeuwen.
Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office Detective Scott Van Wagoner met us in a public parking lot, pointing out high profile vehicles thieves like to target.
"Initially it's shock, then it's outrage," said Van Wagoner. "They did what to my vehicle? And it's going to cost me how much?"
Van Wagoner documented 11 thefts this spring in just the Millcreek area of Salt Lake.
We contacted other departments and found thieves have hit cities including Draper, West Valley and South Salt Lake. In fact, we followed the trail of thefts north into Davis County.
During our analysis of police reports, we noted thieves seem to target the type of cars both Van Leeuwen and Stobbe drive: high-profile vehicles.
As Detective Van Wagoner pointed out, "This is two-and-a-half, three feet high; very easy to slide under."
Why the catalytic converter? Think of it as the hidden treasure you didn't know you were driving around. It contains trace amounts of valuable metals worth thousands of dollars an ounce. These metals are used in other things like jewelry and electronics, so thieves turn converters into quick cash.
The converters are not marked with any ID number. Police say once stolen, converters are practically impossible to trace.
The part, itself, is easy to steal. We obtained surveillance video to show you just how easy.
In March, cameras captured the crime in progress at a local store. Police say the thief just walks into the parking lot, picks out a truck, gets the goods and then strolls away. Mission accomplished in under two minutes.
Owner of Mr. Muffler Cesar Hernandez showed us the saw crooks use to steal converters. "This is probably a thief's favorite tool," he said. They can cut a converter out in seconds.
"They're taking them out so they can sell them to a recycler," Hernandez said. A single converter can fetch up to $200.
Over at Utah Metal Works, vice president Chris Lewon said recyclers have met with law enforcement to learn how to combat this growing crime. "If you ask any of the recyclers out there, we are part of this community and we want to be proactive in solving this problem," he said.
Reacting to an overall increase in metal thefts, last year the Utah Legislature mandated that recyclers keep a log and photograph transactions.
Leeuwon showed us the cameras he's installed inside Utah Metal Works. But state lawmakers are now considering even tougher rules, like fingerprinting customers.
Catalytic converter thefts are also on the rise in other states. For more information on the growing problem, click the links below.
- California
- Michigan
- Tennessee
- Texas
For more information on catalytic converters, themselves, and how to prevent them from being stolen, click the related links to the right of the story.
E-mail: iteam@ksl.com
